Caster



{No Model.)

G. T. HETZEL.

GASTBR.

Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

No. 556y9'78.

ANDREW BGGMMM PHOTUM'MQWASMNGTON C PATENT Erice..

GEORGE T. IIETZEL, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,978, dated March 24, 1896.

Application filed July 11, 1895. Serial No. 555,623. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. HETZEL, of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled iii the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in furniture-casters.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved caster exceedingly quick and responsive in action and simple and durable in construction, and so constructed as to reduce excessive strain on the securing means to a minimum and to obviate binding and doubling up of the carpet or rug when the casters are' being turned or moved.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in combination and arrangements of parts more fully and particularly pointed out and described hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of the caster. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken in a plane at `right angles to the plane of the section of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is an elevation, partially broken away, showing the securing-plate provided with a socket.

In the drawings, a is a fiat plate having transverse screw-holes around its outer portion and arranged to be rigidly secured to the lower end of a furniture-leg. This plate has the central raised boss a on its under side. This plate has a central perforation or bearing co2 passing up through the center of said boss and bearing, with the enlarged recess or countersink a3 at its upper end in the upper face of the plate.

b is the turn-yoke having the two downwardly-extending ends h h', and its upper end forming a circular table beneath the boss a' of the securing-plate, with a circular bearinggroove h2 in its upper face containing antifriction-balls c, on which the said boss rests an d which sustains the weight, and on which the yoke turns. This yoke is formed integral, preferably, with a short central vertical pin h3 extending from its upper end through the bearing a2, withits upper end preferably screw-threaded, but not extending above the upper surface of said plate a.. A nut d or other fastening means can be arranged on the upper end of this pivot-pin b3 in and not extending above the recess in the upper surface of the securing-plate.

The central portion of the boss a' is curved and extended down around the pivot-pin and within the circle of balls at a4, so as to receive the lateral strain and jars and take up strain which would otherwise be on the pivotpin. A most strong, simple and durable construction is thus produced.

c is the horizontal axle passing throughthe lower ends of the arms of the turn-yoke, with its length in a vertical plane within the circle of balls and just slightly to one side of the plane of the vertical axis on which the turnyoke revolves.

The wheels ff are preferably mounted on said axle between the arms of the yoke with their treads slightly separated. The wheels are preferably of the same size and counterparts with their peripheries or treads tapered from their outer ends inwardly, so that the greatest dia-meter of each wheel is at the outer end thereof and the smallest diameter of each wheel at the inner end thereof, thereby forniing the outer raised tread j" at the outer edge or end of each wheel.

In Fig. 3 the securing-plate is formed with inwardly-inclined and strengthened screwholes, so that the screws enter the leg, as shown, and form a most secure lock and fastoning.

The securingplate can have a securingplate a5, if desired, as shown in Fig. Ll.

Material advantages are attained by arranging the axle of the wheels in the vertical plane within the circle of bearing-balls and at or near the center of the caster, as when the furniture is moved the yoke and balls will not sheer and wabble from side to side, but will turn quickly and easily, as directed, and move in the direction desired.

By reason of the employment of two separate wheels they can rotate independently at different rates of speed, and by reason of the IOO peculiar shape of the Wheel-treads the caster can turn in a very small space or area and Without slipping on, shoving, or twisting or binding on the carpet or other floor-covering or Without marring a polished floor. The peculiar shape of the tWo Wheels accomplish material advantages.

Then moving the furniture, or at any time, the strain is evenly distributed on the balls and is vertically up against the plate.

It is evident that various changes might be made in the forms, constructions and arrangements described and shown Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not limit myself to eX- actly What is here shown.

In a caster, the combination of a base having central perforation and central bottoni projection or edge d4, through which the perforation passes, the turn-yoke having the depending legs and top circular bearing, the central pin conned loosely in said perforation, the balls in said groove and around said edge a4 to prevent lateral strain on said pin, the axle in the legs Within the plane of the circle of balls, and the two parallel rollers on the axle having the inwardly-inclined edges, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE T. I-IETZEL.

Vitnesses C. W. KISER, WM. T. RUcH. 

